Tool chain magazines for complex milling machines and machining centers have been known for some time in various embodiments. Basically, they consist of a stable supporting structure that may be mounted to a suitable location of the machine frame or positioned adjacent to the machine frame as a separate constructional unit. Depending on the size and layout of the chain magazine, a driving chain wheel and one or more deflection chain wheels are disposed in this supporting structure, the driving chain wheel being connected to a motor as a rotary drive. An endless link chain is guided around the chain wheels. The chain links are connected by suitable joints so that they can swivel with one another. Each joint contains a holder for a tool. In conventional chain magazines, these holders are usually formed like pincers, wherein mostly spring-biased mechanisms are operated for inserting and removing the respective tools.
Apart from that, tool chain magazines are already known whose chain links for the most part consist of cast steel or the like. Each chain link of the magazine chain has a socket or quiver for a tool, the interior of which is adapted to the outer contour of the tool taper to be accommodated by labor-intensive machining so that it is possible to insert such tool taper into the socket in an accurately fitting manner, fix it therein by a spring lock and also remove it therefrom. However, as the socket-like tool holding fixtures are provided at the sides of the chain links, considerable loads result, particularly in case of fast chain movements. Further, the manufacturing of such magazine chains involves high labor and cost efforts which i.a. are caused by the necessary fine finishing of the chain link blanks.